Mechanisms of Cancer PathogenesisDr. Nyalwidhe’s laboratory focuses on molecular biology, functional genomics and proteomic approaches to study cancer for the purposes of understanding cancer biology as well as to discover clinical biomarkers. The focus is on understanding the molecular events and signaling mechanisms that are involved in cancer progression and disease severity. The objective is to identify and disrupt signaling mechanisms that are involved in cancer progression and severity. The molecules that are involved in these mechanisms are potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for disease and may also provide avenues for targeted cancer drug development. The emphasis is on mechanisms and targets that could explain cancer health disparities between different ethnic groups. Our recent research findings demonstrate the differential regulation of proteins and that their glycosylation patterns closely correlate with prostate cancer disease severity. We are also interested in determining the mechanisms of chemopreventive action of nutraceuticals against cancers. The objective is to identify and characterize the molecular targets and mechanisms of action of known nutraceuticals involved in cancer prevention.

Mechanisms of Host pathogen InteractionsThe focus of this project is on understanding the mechanisms of interactions between infectious pathogens and their host cells. A major research focus is the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which invades and develops in red blood cells to cause disease pathologies that include severe malarial anemia, nephropathy and cerebral disease. The goal is to define unique and fundamental pathways and mechanisms in the microorganisms as well as human cells that provide molecular insights, targets and therapies in neglected diseases. Additionally, we are also focusing on understanding the mechanisms of pathogenesis of a variety of other infectious agents, and viral-induced carcinomas. The emphasis is on the application of molecular biology, functional and structural proteomics and mass spectrometry techniques to functionally characterize protein post-translational modifications to determine their influence in the progression and outcome of disease.